Drapery plaiting and supporting means



Aug. 18, 1931. D. HARRISON DBAPERY PLAITING AND SUPPORTING MEANS Filed June 26. 1929 INVENTOR Dnvro HARRISON 624w r J ATTORNEYS FIG. 3

Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES DAVID HARRISON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI DRAPERY PLAITING AND SUPPORTING MEANS Application filed June 26,

Plaited draperies are usually formed by laying the material into plait form, and sewing the plaits in place. This practice offers the serious disadvantage that the resulting fabrics are difficult to clean, without removing the stitching, and the further difliculty of requiring expensive machinery and usually skilled labor, for the purpose of forming the plaits uniformly, and in spacing them evenly across the curtain. While certain drapery supporting devices, which obviate the sewing of plaits, have been known in the art, such devices have heretofore been of such a nature as to require considerable skill in their application, and have been expensive and complicated of manufacture.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a plait forming and drapery supporting device, the manner of application of which will be obvious to anyone, either skilled or unskilled in the art of forming and hanging plaited draperies.

' It is a further object of the invention to produce a device of the characteristics noted, and which may be manufactured at much less than the prevailing cost ofproducing similar articles now available to the trade, andwhich may be formed entirely by known punching or stamping processes and of an inexpensive material such as sheet metal.

A still further object of the device is so to combine, in a single inexpensive member, means for easily forming a series of attractive and uniform plaits of the nature of box plaits of appreciable depth, and combining in the same structure, drapery suspension means for quickly and easily supporting a plaited curtain by means of the usual curtain rings and pole, or their equivalents.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed disclosure and the accompanying drawings of a preferred executional example of the invention.

In the drawings, Fig. l is an elevation, in perspective, of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plait forming device of Fig. 1, the holding pins, however, being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a drapery 1929. Serial No. 373,926.

plaited and supported in accordance with the present invention.

According to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, a curtain, drapery or the like 5 is supported by the aid of the usual rings, (not shown) slidably disposed along and suspended in spaced relation over la; curtain pole or equivalent suspension mem- My device for fashioning the plaits of the drapery, which, in the present example, are shown as being in the nature of box plaits, consists of a substantially tubular body portion 8 provided with a longitudinally extending slot 9, located at the rearmost portion of the device. This slot 9 may be of any desired width, or may be omitted entirely, depending upon the nature and conformity of the plait desired. As will be noted, particularly from Fig. 1, the body portion 8 of the plait forming device is by preference tapered slightly between its ends, and so disposed, when in use, that the portion of greatest diameter is located adjacent the upper portion or edge of the drapery. The body portion is furtherprovided, adjacent its rearmost portion, with a plurality of relatively small openings 10, which are by preference, vertically related in pairs on each side of the opening 9. Adjacent the openings 10, and by preference more remotely disposed from the slot and, like the openingslO, vertically related in pairs, are openings 11; the purpose and use of the several openings hereinafter appearing.

The body portion 8 may be die formed from a single piece of metal by preference of some non-rusting metal of reasonable ductility and fairly substantial gauge. In lieu of punching or forming the openings 10 and 11 directly in the body portion 8, portions of the metal may be struck up so as to project, in the location substantially indicated at 10, and the upstruck portions or resulting projections punched to form the apertures 10.

It will be seen from the drawings that the preferred construction of the body member is of a subsantally arcuate section, and that, according to the required depth of the plaits to be formed, the body portion may be substantially of elliptical section instead of truly arcuate. It is my further preference to form the body portion of sheet material of such a gauge that, to form plaits of greater or less depth, the shaper may be flattened or rounded by bending the sheet metal thereof accordingly.

The manner of use and application of the plaitshaper 8 will appear as obvious to those skilled in the art, and consists, briefly, in disposing the body portion of greatest diameter,

y preference, adjacent the upper edge of the drapery; in drawing the material rearwardly on each side of, and in opposite directions about the body of the shaper, and in folding the material adjacent to, and in substantial alignment with the paired openings 10 on each side of the slot 9. Pins 13 of any suitable type are then inserted, by preference, into the end openings 10, thence through a portion of the curtain material, thence into the other, aligned openings 10, thence again through the curtain material. The described preferred manner of joining the curtain ma-v terial to the portion 8 is practiced identically on each side of the opening 9, as will plainly appear from Fig. 2. Any suitable form of pin may be used, as indicated at 13, the pins being preferably of a length to engage a substantial portion of the drapery or curtain, and at the same time to extend between the vertically paired openings 10.

The application and use of the device as thus far described, relate to the facilities for plaiting a curtain. Obviously, since the material of the drapery or curtain is drawn closely about the body of the plait-forming tube or cylinder, plaits of a width determined by the width of the cylinders, may be formed at intervals across the drapery and spaced as may be desired.

Proceeding now to the facilities for supporting or hanging the device and a curtain with which it is employed, I prefer to provide a bifurcated hook, substantially as indicated at 14, the furcations of which have their origin for example in the lowermost of the openings 11, and thence extend outwardly along the body, and again to the interior of the device through the uppermost openings 11, the furcations being either united or doubled upon themselves to form a hook or loop 15, which may be employed in an obvious manner to extend through the usual curtain rings so as to render the entire curtain slidably disposed along the curtain pole. While for convenience of description, reference is made to the use of curtain rings and a'pole, it will be obvious thatv the hooks 14 may engage a wire, cord or any suitable flexible or rigid supporting member.

As is indicated by the drawings, it is preferred to dispose the hook portion 15 somewhat below the upper edge portion of the plait-shaper. This construction offers an advantage of supporting the curtain, at its plaited portions, in such a manner that its upper edge extends above the pole and rings whereby to conceal the rings and pole from presentment and view from the front or face side of the drapery. If it is desired to suspend the drapery partly or entirely below the curtain and rings, the furcations 11 may be merely elongated and the hook portions 15 disposed adjacent to, or if desired, entirely above the upper edge of the shaper 8.

A number of advantages in production and use of the improved drapery forming device, constructed in accordance with the present invention, will appear at once to those acquainted with the art to which the invention pertains. The device enables draperies to be plaited. and hung in place in plaited condition, by any one without particular skill, and requires a minimum of time to effect the plaiting operation. A noteworthy advantage in use is found in the facilities for changingthe spacing and form of the plaits as may be desired. from time to time. A particular advantage in production is found, in that, the entire device employs only standard materials, and may be formed in quantities, with the result that the completed article may be made and sold at an extremely low cost.

While I have shown the preferred form of the body 8 as being of elliptical section and tapered between its ends, it will be obvious that the device may be constructed of cylindrical form and arcuate section or may be constructed to form, for example, a box plait of relatively less or greater length and depth than as shown; it being understood that the particularly preferred and described embodiment of the invention, is submitted solelyas a statutory example thereof for purposes of obtaining Letters Patent, and that the preceding detailed description is tobe understood in a descriptive rather than in a limit ing sense; a number of obvious changes being possible within the scope of the appended claims. I claim as my invention: I

i. In a plaiting and supporting device for draperies, a body including a flexible, convex foundation for the plaited fabric, seat portions formed on the body for detachable engagement by fabric holding means, and arranged, with such means, for securing a fabric exteriorly of said body, and means carried by the body for supporting the device and drapery.

2. In a unitaryplaiting and securing device' for draperies. a body having a hollow flexible foundation portion, adapted tobe exteriorly embraced by the plaited-material,

and having formed seat portions adapted to receive fabric securing means, and means carried by said body, for supporting the device and drapery. p

p 3. In a unitary device for supporting and forming plaits in a drapery, a hollow body of deformable material and substantial depth, transverse to the drapery, said body arranged to be wrapped about and substantially concealed by a plait formed in said drapery, said body having a portion shaped substantially to conform to the shape of the desired plait, and provided with channels for holding means whereby a fabric may be detachably secured, in shaped relation, to the said hollow body, and means on the body for supporting said body and the drapery carried thereby.

4. In a device for supporting, and forming a plait in draperies, a hollow shaping or foundation structure for the plait to be formed, said structure being of substantial, but variable dimension transverse to the associated drapery, pin seats in the hollow structure, said seats located to permit pinning the fabric in folded relation at adjacent points on the same side of said device, and supporting means for said device and drapery associated therewith.

5. A unitary device for plaiting and supporting draperies, including a hollow body shaped substantially to correspond with the desired plait, and adapted to be exteriorly embraced thereby, said body having an apertured wall portion, drapery holding means extending through, and coacting with the apertured wall of the body, for detachably securing a fabric in plaited relation about the body, and a support including'a hook portion, terminating between the ends of said body.

6. In a concealable device for plaiting and supporting a drapery, a hollow body of substantial dimension transverse to the associated drapery, holding means disposable through the drapery and a wall portion of said body, for securing the drapery in wrapped relation about the body, and supporting means carried by the body.

7 In a device for plaiting and supporting draperies, means for imparting a substantial, variable depth to a plait formed by the device. and including a unitary, hollow plaitshaping structure provided with pin-locating and holding portions, and a hook for engagement with a support for the drapery.

8. In a unitary device for plaiting and supporting draperies, a foundation member for a plait, including a hollow body of flexible material adapted to be substantially concealed by the drapery associated therewith, said body being shaped to impart a substantial variable depth to the plait constituted thereby, pin-seats disposed adjacently to each other on one side of said body, pins coacting with the seats to secure the drapery to said body, and supporting means for the body and associated fabric.

9. In a unitary device for plaiting and supporting draperies, a tubiform body of variable transverse section, tapered between its 7 ends and having channeled seats formed thereon for the reception of fabric holding means, means normally substantially concealed by the plaited drapery and coacting with said seats for securing the drapery in wrapped and concealing relation to the body, a hook adapted to engage a drapery-hanging member, said hook being disposed substantially below the upper margin of the body whereby said body and the associated dra pery are adapted to conceal the drapery hanging member or support.

10. A plaited drapery supporting device including. a member of substantially the shape of the desired plait and disposable substantially within a plait formed thereby, said member having a set of aligned spaced channels adapted detachably to receive a pin passing through a portion of the drapery, and a supporting hook disposed between said channels and the folds of the plait, and between the upper and lower margins of said member.

DAVID HARRISON. 

